to repentance. Why have you thus sinned against Him? Why have you been so ungrateful? What more could He do for you? Oh, be ashamed, and mourn, and despise yourself, because you have sinned against your Maker and your Redeemer, Whom you ought to love above all things!
Consider the consequences of even one mortal sin. By it you lose the grace of God. You destroy peace of conscience; you forfeit the felicity of heaven, for which you were created and redeemed; and you prepare for yourself eternal punishment. If we grieve for the loss of temporal and earthly things, how much more should we grieve for having deliberately exposed ourselves to the loss of those which are' eternal and heavenly!
Consider how great is the love of God for you, if, only from this, that He hath so long waited for you and spared you, when He might have so justly cast you into hell. Behold Him fastened to the cross for love of you! Behold Him pouring forth His precious blood as a fountain to cleanse you from your sins! Hear Him saying, "I thirst," — "I thirst with an ardent desire for your salvation! " Behold Him stretching out His arms to embrace you, and waiting until you should come to yourself and turn unto Him, and throw yourself before Him, and say, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before Thee, and am no more worthy to be called Thy son." Let these considerations touch your heart with love for Him Who loves you so much, and love will beget true contrition, most acceptable to God.
Say an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory to obtain true contrition. Then add the following:
